Cladding contractor Clear Line has been acquired by Swedish building envelope giant Fasadgruppen.

Sheffield-based Clear Line has been in business since 1977 and has a current turnover of £49m employing 60 staff.

Fasadgruppen is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and consists of more than 55 businesses in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland.

The Group runs a decentralised business model, where its subsidiaries continue to operate as before the acquisition, but with the opportunity to use shared group functions in areas such as purchasing and finance.

The acquisition of Clear Line marks Fasadgruppen’s first entry into the UK. For the rolling twelve month period ended 30 June 2024, Fasadgruppen reported a turnover equivalent to £365m while employing roughly 2,000 staff.

Peter Hebb, Managing Director of Clear Line, said: “In seeking new ownership, we sought to find a committed owner who understands and has the same passion for the building envelope industry as we do, we also sought scale that matches our ambitions.

“In both regards, Fasadgruppen provides a perfect fit for Clear Line.  With their support we can expand our offering to larger portfolios where turnover limits might otherwise preclude such expansion, enabling us to access more projects with both existing and new clients in the UK.

“We particularly liked Fasadgruppen’s approach in bringing market expertise and financial strength whilst enabling our own extremely successful business to continue operating as before.

“Under Fasadgruppen’s eternal ownership horizon, we will have a common interest in Clear Line continuing to develop its capabilities in an entrepreneurial environment with a focus on continuous improvement.”

Martin Jacobsson, CEO of Fasadgruppen, added: “In Clear Line, we have found a unique player with a proven business model that has built an excellent market position in its clear niche.

“The company’s total solution, which helps the customer all the way from planning to execution and documentation with the support of a sophisticated IT platform, has made Clear Line a sought-after contractor among property owners who need to upgrade their facades.

“We are confident about Clear Line’s growth opportunities and look forward to our future expansion with Clear Line as one of our bright shining stars.”